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Sustainability
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Advances in Sustainable Building Materials and Concrete Technologies
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Advances in Sustainable Building Materials and Concrete Technologies

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 3571

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zigeng Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: cement concrete; new cementitious materials; basic theory of simulation software; nanoscopic simulation of materials; solid–liquid coupling modeling method; mechanics of materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lan-Ping Qian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: artificial aggregates; geopolymer cement and concrete; high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites; green building materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to introduce this Special Issue on “Advances in Sustainable Building Materials and Concrete Technologies”. Building materials and concrete technologies are the foundation of the sustainable development of civil engineering and the construction industry. Therefore, it is very important to improve the performance of building materials and concrete. To achieve this, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive study on the properties of sustainable building materials and concrete, including analyses of macroscopic properties and microscopic mechanisms.

This Special Issue welcomes original and review articles and case studies that address the challenges and opportunities of using sustainable building materials and concrete technologies, providing readers with insights into the latest state-of-the-art research and practices related to civil engineering construction. Research areas for consideration in this Special Issue may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • High-performance sustainable building materials;
  • Green and intelligent building materials;
  • Mechanical properties of sustainable building materials;
  • Durability of sustainable building materials;
  • Fire protection properties of sustainable building materials;
  • Thermal insulation performance of sustainable building materials;
  • Working performance of sustainable concrete;
  • Mechanical properties of sustainable concrete;
  • Durability properties of sustainable concrete;
  • Construction technologies of sustainable building materials and concrete.

Dr. Zigeng Wang
Dr. Lan-Ping Qian
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • building materials
  • concrete materials
  • sustainability
  • high performance
  • workability
  • mechanical performance
  • durability
  • thermal performance
  • macro and micro properties
  • modeling

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 22558 KB  
Article
Experimental Study on Preparation of Sustainable Low Carbon Magnesium Oxysulfate Cement (MOSC) Based on Brucite and Dilute Sulfuric Acid
by Zigeng Wang, Chongying Du and Yue Li
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1154; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031154 - 23 Jan 2026
Viewed by 514
Abstract
Traditional magnesium oxysulfate cement (MOSC) is prepared from light-burned magnesia, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate with a large amount of energy consumption and CO2 release. This study used brucite and dilute sulfuric acid to prepare magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) solution where the temperature [...] Read more.
Traditional magnesium oxysulfate cement (MOSC) is prepared from light-burned magnesia, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate with a large amount of energy consumption and CO2 release. This study used brucite and dilute sulfuric acid to prepare magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) solution where the temperature exceeded 70 °C; light-burned magnesia was added to create a new type of sustainable low carbon MOSC, of which the performances were evaluated. Additionally, the effects of MgSO4 solution temperatures on sustainable low carbon MOSC were investigated. The results showed that as the temperature of the MgSO4 solution increased, the setting time and the fluidity of the sustainable low carbon MOSC decreased. The compressive strength of this material showed that the samples prepared with 20 °C MgSO4 solution exhibited increasing compressive strength, reaching 34 MPa at 3 d age. However, the samples prepared with 40 °C and 60 °C MgSO4 solution showed compressive strength reduction as 23 and 18.2 MPa at 3 d age. Microscopic analysis revealed that the type of hydration products was not altered by the MgSO4 solution temperatures. Under 60 °C of the MgSO4 solution, the content of 3·1·8 crystalline phase in the material increased to 18.5%, while the 5·1·7 crystalline phase decreased to 13.1%. The porosity of the material increased to 26.55%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Building Materials and Concrete Technologies)
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Review

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37 pages, 8386 KB  
Review
Durability Behavior of Portland Cement Mortars with Recycled Powder from Concrete Waste as a Cement Partial Replacement: A Review
by Kubilay Kaptan, Sandra Cunha and José Aguiar
Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2561; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052561 - 5 Mar 2026
Viewed by 622
Abstract
Rapid urban expansion and industrial development have significantly increased waste generation while simultaneously intensifying the demand for construction materials. This dual pressure has accelerated the depletion of natural resources and raised serious environmental concerns. To address these challenges, considerable research efforts have focused [...] Read more.
Rapid urban expansion and industrial development have significantly increased waste generation while simultaneously intensifying the demand for construction materials. This dual pressure has accelerated the depletion of natural resources and raised serious environmental concerns. To address these challenges, considerable research efforts have focused on developing sustainable cementitious materials with reduced environmental impact and improved durability performance. One promising approach involves partially substituting Portland cement (PC) with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), which can enhance material performance while reducing environmental footprint and production costs. Recently, recycled powder (RP) derived from construction and demolition waste (CDW) has attracted growing attention as a sustainable alternative binder component. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the durability performance of Portland cement mortars incorporating RP obtained from concrete waste. Key durability indicators, including water absorption, capillary transport, chloride penetration resistance, freeze–thaw behavior, carbonation resistance, sulfate attack resistance, and drying shrinkage, are critically examined under various activation methods. In addition, the environmental and economic implications associated with RP utilization, including cost efficiency and CO2 emission reduction potential, are analyzed. The findings provide a structured understanding of RP activation strategies and their effectiveness in improving the durability and sustainability of cement-based materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Building Materials and Concrete Technologies)
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Other

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53 pages, 6736 KB  
Systematic Review
Plant Fibres as Reinforcing Material in Self-Compacting Concrete: A Systematic Literature Review
by Piseth Pok, Enrique del Rey Castillo, Jason Ingham and Thomas D. Kishore
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 9955; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17229955 - 7 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1823
Abstract
Natural plant fibres have gained growing research interest as a construction material due to efforts to reduce the negative environmental impacts caused by construction activities. Many researchers have investigated the suitability of utilising plant fibres as reinforcement in self-compacting concrete (SCC) as a [...] Read more.
Natural plant fibres have gained growing research interest as a construction material due to efforts to reduce the negative environmental impacts caused by construction activities. Many researchers have investigated the suitability of utilising plant fibres as reinforcement in self-compacting concrete (SCC) as a substitute for synthetic fibres, recognising that the production of synthetic fibres generates significant amounts of CO2. In this study a bibliometric analysis was conducted to investigate the current research achievements and map the scientific studies where plant fibres were used in SCC. A detailed discussion on the effects of various plant fibres and their underlying mechanisms on the properties of SCC is also provided. The findings indicated that using plant fibres typically reduces the flowability, filling ability, and passing ability of SCC due to the high water absorption of plant fibres, fibre and aggregate interlocking, and the fibre agglomeration effect. Incorporating plant fibres increases the viscosity and enhances the segregation resistance of SCC due to the strong cohesion between plant fibres and the cement matrix. The inclusion of plant fibres usually improves the mechanical properties of SCC because of the synergetic effects of plant fibres on crack-bridging and strain redistribution across the cross-section of SCC. Adding plant fibres to SCC also reduces drying shrinkage and cracking due to the fibre bridging effect, while generally lowering the resistance to sulphate attack, acid attack, and freeze–thaw cycles and increasing the water absorption rate of SCC due to the increased porosity of the mix. A comprehensive overview of research gaps and future perspectives for further investigations is also provided in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Building Materials and Concrete Technologies)
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